I love wireless DMX and battery powered uplights.

You can’t argue with the fact that wireless uplights can save you time since you don’t have to run DMX cable everywhere or find power.

On the flip side, though, you have to spend a lot of money for wireless fixtures compared to their old buddies, the cheap LED par!

When Do Wireless Uplights Make Sense?

I recently found this video on Youtube which does a really great job at outlining when it does and doesn’t make sense to do wireless uplighting.

Jump below the video when it’s complete to get my take on when uplights make sense:

I really like the points that Brian brought up in this video.  The truth is, you usually don’t want 100% wireless uplighting, and sometimes wireless for power but without DMX control is great as well.

Just to compare, a Chauvet Freedom Par Quad 4 with wireless DMX and battery costs about $400 at the time of this writing.

Meanwhile, a Chauvet EZpar 64 with battery but no wireless DMX costs $200, and a Chauvet Slimpar RGBA costs $119 (no battery, no wireless DMX).

You can see where some cost savings can really come in.  However, you don’t have to buy if you need more wireless fixtures for a one-off gig.

Network with other local DJ’s and production companies, and see who has extra fixtures for rental!

If you can’t find what you need locally, Pro Lighting Rental offers the Chauvet EZ Pars with batteries but no wireless DMX for just $24 with free shipping.

Figure Out What Your Customers Want

In any event business, the end product is deeply shaped by what the customer wants to pay for.  If you’re a DJ, I’m sure you know that well since you deal with it on a frequent basis!

At the end of the day, figuring out whether to go wireless with your DMX is all about the money!  It costs more, but it also can make a big impact for high-end events.

But, on the other hand, many events will be more than happy with single-color, non-changing uplights.  And that’s okay too!

While it may not seem as cool or fun, using static uplights can still make for great events, at a great price.  Save the wireless DMX for the locations and events where it really matters!